


Just Breathe

by Telaryn



Series: The Tale of Eliot Spencer and Ellen Harvelle [3]
Category: Leverage, Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Drowning, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experience, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 09:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telaryn/pseuds/Telaryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean are on hand to help with the rescue when Eliot and Jo run afoul of a rogue undine.  It's the boys first exposure to how things have changed in the Harvelle house since Eliot came into their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Angst Bingo, for the prompt "asphyxiation".

_Thirty compressions…two breaths…thirty compressions…_ Sam struggled to stay focused on the task in front of him – performing CPR on an unconscious Jo Harvelle. Somewhere behind him, in the dark waters of the county reservoir, Dean and Ellen were still searching for the man who’d rescued her.

 _Eliot Spencer._ Neither he or Dean had ever heard of the man, but the look on Ellen’s face as they raced to the site had told Sam all he needed to know. Whoever he was, Eliot Spencer was somebody important to the Harvelles – important enough that Ellen was comfortable trusting him with her daughter’s safety.

As far as Sam was concerned, there was no higher testament to Spencer’s character than that.

“Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty,” he muttered, shifting position for two quick breaths before returning to the compressions. “One, two, three…” _An undine in the reservoir._ It was unheard of. Undines typically inhabited coastal regions – large bodies of water with easy access to stupid tourists. _Not county reservoirs in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska._

“Come on, Jo,” he muttered, redoubling his efforts. The rule was that you kept going until a doctor or paramedic told you to stop; Sam had no idea how long he’d been working, but he was starting to feel the burn in his arms and shoulders. “Come on!”

After another dozen compressions, he was finally rewarded with movement; Jo convulsed, and began to choke on the water in her lungs. Sam immediately rolled her onto her side, stretching his left arm out for the pile of blankets they’d brought with them.

“Easy Jo,” he said, steadying her as the coughing degenerated into wracking sobs. “You’re all right. You’re going to be all right.” He wrapped the blanket he’d grabbed around her as best he could. Now that she was conscious, the focus had to be on raising her body temperature.

“Sam!” Still half-supporting Jo, Sam turned to see Ellen and Dean struggling for the shore. They were supporting something large between them – a dark, indefinable shape against the surrounding landscape.

“Stay here,” Sam told Jo, repositioning her on her side. Without waiting for a response, he reached the others in time to help drag the body they’d found out of the water.

“He’s unconscious,” Dean gasped, struggling up on the man’s other side. “No idea how long he was under.” Sam was already busy positioning Spencer on his back and checking his airway.  
*************  
Shaking with a toxic mixture of cold, fear and relief, Ellen forced herself away from Eliot, and up the bank to where her daughter lay. Dean and Sam were already performing CPR – Ellen knew she had to trust that the boys knew what they were doing, and that they had found Eliot in time.

Jo was alive, and already struggling to sit up when Ellen reached her. “Lie still,” she cautioned, grabbing another blanket off the pile. “Are you cold?”

Even though Jo shook her head, Ellen checked her cheeks and hands; finally covering her daughter with the second blanket and grabbing a third for herself. “How do you feel?”

“Feel like I’ve been kicked in the chest by a herd of mules,” Jo said. Her voice was hoarse and broken, and she winced several times as she talked. “What happened?”

Ellen wrapped her blanket around her own shoulders and sat next to Jo. “The boys think it was an undine. We didn’t see any signs of it when we were going after Eliot. We got him,” she added hastily, before the flare of fear in Jo’s eyes could turn into a full-blown panic attack. “Boys are doin’ CPR now.” Ellen hugged her knees to her chest and tried not to think about how long Eliot might have been under.

“Mama,” Jo whimpered, but Ellen shook her head.

“Joella Beth, for once in your life listen to me.” Schooling her features, Ellen stroked her daughter’s hair – meeting her eyes without hesitation. “You’re alive. Eliot’s alive. We’re not worrying about anything else right this second, do you hear me?”

It was a lie; Ellen suspected they both knew it. She didn’t know what else to do – the idea that she might still lose him as the price for getting her daughter back safe was freaking her out more than a little bit. _Death by asphyxiation._ It was supposedly a peaceful way to die once you were too weak to fight. As they sat together in the darkness, Ellen vowed that when she found the creature that had attacked her family _its_ death would be anything but peaceful.  
**********  
He was alive. Dean said a silent prayer of thanks as he helped Sam roll Eliot onto his side. Together they steadied the man as he struggled to cough up the water in his lungs. “Get it out, man,” Dean encouraged.

Sam retrieved a blanket from the pile; when the worst of the choking and gagging had passed, Dean helped his brother wrap the wool around the injured man. “How are they?” he asked.

“They’re going to be all right,” Sam said. “I think we should call an ambulance though.”

Dean nodded as he sat back on his heels. “Good idea.” He reached for his pants pocket then froze, smiling ruefully. Sam rolled his eyes.

“Go grab a blanket for yourself,” he said, pulling his own phone out and dialing. “Last thing I want to do is nurse you through a bout of pneumonia.”

Dean grumbled, but did as he was told. Just because it was his little brother ordering him around didn’t mean it was a bad idea. Especially because he was a _horrible_ patient. Always had been, as far back as he could remember.

Ellen was watching him trudge across the grass. “Sam said he’s going to make it?” she asked.

Groaning, Dean grabbed a blanket for himself and swung it around his shoulders. “Looks like,” he said. “Sam’s calling an ambulance just in case. We figured you wouldn’t want to take any chances with either of them.”

She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t argue with him either. “You all right?” Dean asked finally. Bracing himself lightly against her shoulder, he eased himself into a sitting position on the ground next to her. “It got a little tense in there.”

That got him a soft snort of laughter. “Ya think?” she asked, reaching out to tenderly smooth back a lock of Jo’s pale hair. “She’s so determined to follow in her daddy’s footsteps, and every time something like this happens it’s like I’m losing Bill all over again.”

Dean raised his arm and blanket – urging her closer to his side. When they were settled again - both blankets in place – he said, “You never answered my question.”

“I’ll live,” she said, still staring at her daughter. Acting on impulse, Dean kissed her damp hair. Ellen leaned into him. “I owe you boys.”

Dean laughed at that, ducking his head. “Okay, I think we’re more than even on that score.” He sobered as sirens could suddenly be heard in the distance. “Sounds like company’s coming.” Ellen immediately tried to struggle to her feet, but Dean pulled her back down. “Sam’ll handle the EMTs. Your boy toy doesn’t need you hovering right now.”

Ellen raised her eyebrows. “Boy toy?” Her voice dripped acid. Dean smirked.

“Well? What should I call him? Lover? Cabana boy? Sex…”

Abruptly, the tip of a warning finger was suddenly less than an inch from his nose. “I _will_ take you to the woodshed boy, if you dare finish that sentence,” Ellen growled.

He’d accomplished his real purpose by distracting her – Dean didn’t mind showing throat under the circumstances. “Yes ma’am,” he said respectfully, hugging her to his side.  
**********  
The next half hour was a blur of frenzied activity. Sam answered questions and tried his best to stay out of the way while Eliot and Jo were loaded onto gurneys and taken towards the waiting ambulances. Ellen and Dean were checked out as well; the second she was pronounced “fine”, Ellen headed off to be with her daughter and mystery man – stopping only to give Sam a hug and a quick, heartfelt “thank you”.

“I’ve got a scrip for antibiotics, orders to rest, and I am hungry enough to eat a bear,” Dean declared, when Sam finally reached him.

“Under the circumstances,” Sam told him, “I’d say you’re entitled to all three.” The two of them watched from a distance as the gurneys were being loaded. Ellen was standing by Eliot’s side, holding his hand. Sam was struck again by how taken she seemed to be with this man they’d never heard of and didn’t know anything about.

“Should we do a background check on the guy?” he asked finally, rethinking his earlier assessment.

Dean was silent at first. They watched as Ellen leaned over the gurney, pressing her forehead to Eliot’s. The gesture was more tender than either of the brothers had ever seen from her. “He saved Jo,” Dean pointed out finally. “And nearly died doing it.”

“I say we give this one a pass.”


End file.
